Goodbye, Love
by BroadwayBender
Summary: Simone loves Enjolras. Enjolras loves France. But when Grantaire convinces Enjolras to let loose for a night, nothing is the same. Enjolras/OC, Valjean/Javert
1. One Night

I posted this on another website, but I thought I'd post it here as well. This is my first story on this website in a few years, and the first on this account. I hope you enjoy this!

* * *

_One night couldn't hurt_, Enjolras thought as he sipped his third beer. Grantaire had convinced him to take the night off and attend a party at the bar.  
Enjolras watched as Grantaire downed another drink. He was talking to an admittedly attractive girl, who giggled at every word he said.  
_I should probably stop this..._Enjolras thought, concerned for the welfare of the young, red haired girl. He walked over to Grantaire and pulled him away.  
"Stop that. You two are both drunk."  
"Not for me. You."  
Enjolras turned to see the girl, who was not actually as drunk as he originally assumed, standing behind him. When she saw him looking her way, she smiled, lust filling her eyes.  
"Why would you do that?"  
"I tol' you to take a night off. Have fun. Get laid," Grantaire slurred. Enjolras sighed. He heard this speech earlier, though the final part had not been previously mentioned. "This is Simone. You guys should fuck."  
"How could you possibly think that I would engage in such unwholesome behaviors with a girl I barely know?"  
"Crazy shit happens when people get drunk."  
"I'm not that drunk!"  
"Yet."

The next morning, Enjolras awoke in an unfamiliar bed. He sat up too quickly, sparking a headache that made him fall back into the pillow. He closed his eyes again, the bright sun worsening his headache.  
_I'm going to kill Grantaire_, he thought as he took in his surroundings. He reached under the blankets to find that he was naked. Further inspection found another form lying next to him. He jumped back at the texture of soft skin. A girl.  
He squinted open his eyes to see a flash of thick, red hair.  
"Good morning, sunshine," she smirked. "Recovering from last night?"  
"I'm going to kill Grantaire for this wretched hangover. How does he do this daily?"  
"Practice?"  
Enjolras gave a small laugh. "He does have enough experience."  
An awkward silence fell over the accidental lovers.  
"Look, about last night–"  
"Don't worry," Simone started. "It's not your fault. I wanted it too."  
"I just never thought it would happen this way."  
"What? Going out with friends? Getting wasted?"  
"Making love for the first time."  
Simone looked at Enjolras in awe.  
"I know it's way too soon, I mean, I know nothing more than your name, but I feel it would lessen our sin if we...started over?"  
"I like that idea. I'm Simone, and grew up just outside of Paris. Now, I'm living with an old family friend, Marius Pontmercy."  
"Marius? He and I are good friends. We go to school together."  
"That's nice. So what about you?"  
The two talked for hours. After that day, they seemed inseparable. No one had ever seen Enjolras like this. He was happier. For the first time, he felt like more than just a faceless revolutionary. His life had a meaning.  
But it couldn't last.


	2. The Guilty One

Just to warn you, the POV changes in each chapter. Each of the seven characters have two chapters, Enjolras and Simone getting a third chapter. I tried to make these changes as clear as possible, but if it is not clear, I will specify the character at the beginning of the chapter.

* * *

"How could this happen?"  
"Something tells me that you know how."  
"I-I'm sorry. I don't think I can process this right now."  
"And you think I can?"  
"Simone, please-"  
"No, you listen to me. We both got into this mess, and where both going to deal with it."  
"I have a revolution to worry about! We've discussed this! France needs-"  
"Your family needs you too," Simone spat, bitterly.  
He couldn't respond to that.  
"I need you," she sighed, remorsefully. "I don't exactly want you after what you've made painstakingly clear, but I can't do this alone."  
"This isn't how it was supposed to happen," Enjolras muttered. "This revolution...its for our generation's children. And their children. You supported my devotion to it. It was something you-"  
"Loved," Simone interjected. "And I did. But one of us has to grow up now. And, since you've expressed your disinterest in me and our baby, I'm not sure I want you around at all."  
The two in silence for what seemed like hours. Simone, finally, stood from her now ex-lover's bed. The room looked darker than the bright red color she awoke to just weeks before.  
"I'm going to go to Cosette's to sort out my thoughts."  
"It-It might be best if you...didn't come around her for awhile..."  
She looked back at Enjolras one last time.  
"If that's how you want to deal with it."

"Cosette? Are you here?" Simone yelled as she walked though the hallway. Cosette probably didn't hear her knock from her room.  
Cosette's room was empty.  
"Cosette? Cos—"  
Simone opened another door to find mostly undressed man straddling another body.  
"M-Monsieur?"  
The man jumped up. It was Cosette's father. The man under him bolted out of the room.  
"I must take my leave, Valjean," he muttered, hiding his face in shame. The mysterious yet familiar man slammed the door behind him.  
"Was-was that..."  
Valjean sighed, picking his pants up off of the floor and pulling them over his legs. "Yes, Simone. That was the Inspector."  
"Monsieur–"  
"Please, call me Jean. I assume you're looking for my Cosette."  
"J-Jean," Simone burst into tears, "I need to talk to her."  
Jean, unsure as to whether or not Simone felt comfortable with him around after the moment of intimacy she had witnessed, arose. "She should be at the marketplace. Shall I tell her that you will be staying for dinner?"  
Simone shook her head. "Please, don't leave me too."  
"Too?" Jean asked. "You're seeing that blonde student, right."  
She shrugged.  
"Would you like to talk?"  
"What's there to say? We're both foolish children, but I'm the one who has to suffer the consequences."  
"I'm going to tell you what I told Cosette. If someone doesn't treat you right, they don't deserve you."  
"But I need him. I can't do this without him."  
"Why not?"  
"I-I," she hesitated, unsure whether should should divulge her darkest secret to her friend's father, "I'm with child."  
Valjean was taken aback. Simone could almost hear the thoughts going through his head. 'How can my daughter's friend, who is merely a child herself, become a mother?' or 'What did I do wrong? My Cosette, friends with this salacious woman!'  
"So you see, I need Enjolras. I can't raise a child on my own," Simone collapsed into Jean's arms.  
"It's going to be okay."  
"It won't."  
"Cosette and I will do everything we could possibly do to help you."  
"There's nothing you can do. It's not fair to this baby. I'm not married. My mistake will cause my child so much misery."  
"Not necessarily. Cosette's mother was alone. I-I failed her, and I won't let that happen to you," Jean confessed.  
"You couldn't have failed her. Look at how wonderfully Cosette has turned out. If I had just a trace of your parental skill..."  
"It will come. A majority of it is instinctive. The rest is learning from your mistakes. I'm sure you would not be praising my parenting if you knew all of the times I made stupid mistakes, or-"  
"Papa! I'm home," Cosette yelled as she climbed the stairs, groceries in hand. "Are you in...Simone!" Cosette tossed the groceries onto a table and enthusiastically ran up to her friend.  
Simone looked up at her, revealing her tear stained face out of Jean's lap.  
"What's wrong?"  
Jean stood to leave. "I'll leave you two to chat while I start dinner."  
Jean left, closing the door behind him.  
"Well this must be important. Papa never starts dinner without me. He also rarely leaves...'Mone?"  
Simone buried her head in a pillow.  
"Is this about Enjolras?"  
She nodded and moved her hand to her stomach.  
"Oh my..." Cosette gasped.  
"I don't know what to do."  
"What if you get married?"  
"Enjolras doesn't even want to look at me now."  
Cosette thought for a moment. "What about Marius? I would give you two my blessing to marry until you got everything all sorted out."  
"No. It feels...wrong. I mean, it's not fair to either of you. I already messed up my unborn child's life. I'm not going to jeopardize your future with Marius. Besides, he's like a brother to me. We've lived together since my parents passed away."  
"There has to be someone..."  
"No. U-unless..."  
_It could never work_, Simone thought. _It's wrong. He may have offered to do anything, but that's not fair to anyone..._


	3. Bad Medicine

"So this is what you guys do."

Enjolras nodded solemnly at Éponine, who laughed.

"Drinking and casual sex is more of Grantaire's thing, but I've found that it has its charms."

"So is there some kind of routine to this?"

Enjolras shrugged.

"Get drunk, find someone hot and easy, and repeat," Grantaire said.

"Sounds good to me," Éponine answered. She downed another beer and accepted a third from Grantaire.

"So," she started, seductively running her fingers through Enjolras's curly blonde locks, "you wanna find someplace more private?"

"So what brings you here, anyway?" Éponine inquired between needy kisses.

"I don't feel like being sober or alone, so I came here," Enjolras answered, plainly. Éponine observed that the man did not want to give her more information that he had to.

"Relationship troubles?"

"If you could call them that."

"Weren't you seeing that red head? Marius's friend."

Enjolras grunted.

"So you were seeing her."

"Why are you so intent on meddling in my personal business? Did Grantaire put you up to this?"

"No. I'm just curious. I mean if we're going to do this, shouldn't I at least know where your body's been?"

"I assure you, I am very nearly clean."

"Nearly? So you were with her!" Éponine giggled. She didn't mind that she would not be Enjolras's first. In fact, she preferred someone with experience. Still, she was intrigued by this man's past.

"Yeah."

"But you're not with her now."

"Obviously."

"And may I assume that those two things are related."

"That is my business."

"So that's a yes."

"I'm not justifying this with a response."

"And you don't have any sort of disease."

"Of course not!"

"Interesting. Well, that narrows it down to two things. Neither of which make me very interested in continuing this..." Éponine gestured to the two of them and the discarded outer clothes on the floor, "...this."

Without another word, Éponine began to slip back into her dress. Enjolras sat up.

"Where are you going?"

"Home. I'm sorry, but I can't go through with this, and neither should you."

"So he's a mess over her?"

Éponine nodded. Grantaire took another sip of water.

"Damn hangover," he muttered. "I guess it makes sense. He's been different since they stopped talking."

"When we were talking, he made it sound as though they had sex and that was the problem. Did they..."

Grantaire nodded. "It's how they got together. They got drunk, had a one night stand, and then decided to make it a relationship instead."

"So if that caused whatever caused their break up, there are three possible scenarios. One: One of them has a disease. This one isn't it, since Enjolras said he was 'nearly clean'. Second: One of them was really bad at it."

"That's not it," Grantaire interjected. "If it was that bad, they wouldn't have kept seeing each other."

"Well, that leaves one possibility. Grantaire, I think Simone is pregnant."


	4. For the Best

Wow, two chapters in one day! I feel productive =D

* * *

Jean said he would do anything to help Simone. It was the least he could do. The poor girl's story sounded much like that of Fantine. He hadn't done enough to help Fantine, and he wasn't about to fail his daughter's friend too.

But his daughter's advice was absurd.

"Cosette came up with a plan to help me. It's bit mad, really."

"What is it?"

"She says I should get married."

"To whom?"

Simone shrugged. "She suggested Marius, but I could never do that to either of them."

"Good. I'm sure Cosette means well, but I have to say, I doubt that plan would work."

"Why not?"

"Well, you'd first have to find someone willing to marry a woman who is with child by another man."

"I-I think it could work. I mean, if I were to marry, I could tell everyone else that the child is my husband's. Only the three of us would even have to know the truth. If I marry soon, I can act as though the baby was born early."

"And do you have a, ahem, suitor in mind?"

"Yes. I-I think it should be you."

Valjean blinked, waiting for Simone to start laughing. Waiting for her to say that it was all just a big joke. '_Perhaps she's not even pregnant!_' he thought.

But her face remained the same, and Jean realized that she was serious.

"Absolutely not."

"Please? Just think about it at least! I wouldn't have to bring anyone else who doesn't already know into this mess. Besides, this could help you too. I mean, no one would suspect anything about you and your-," Simone struggled to figure out how to refer to Jean's lover, "the Inspector."

Valjean tensed. "Does anyone actually suspect-"

"I don't know. I didn't tell anyone."

"Cosette doesn't know?"

Simone shook her head.

"I appreciate it."

"I'm the last person who has the right to judge what you do behind closed doors."

Simone put a hand to her stomach.

"I'm too old to fool anyone with this. My daughter's only, what, four years younger than you?"

"The fact is, the things people will say about our marriage are nothing compared to what they'd say about the truth."

Jean sighed. 'She has a point,' he thought. 'Homosexuality and premarital sex are both taboo.'

"We can marry."

Simone threw her arms around him.

"Thank you so much, monsieur–Jean."

"We'll have to marry soon, though. When are you due?"

"June."

"You'll be showing soon. We can pull this off if we marry by the end of the month."

"So we have two weeks to do this."

Jean nodded.

"Even though we are not marrying because we love each other, I would still like to be wed in a church. Besides, a solely legal ceremony would look suspicious."

"In that case, you should make the arrangements with a priest as soon as possible."

"Then I shall go now. We can tell Cosette after dinner."

"I don't know how comfortable I am with this..." Cosette confessed. Jean had expected this. No girl would feel comfortable with gaining a step-mother who was, not only their best friend but also, so close in age.

"I'm not entirely okay with this arrangement either, but it is the best choice. Simone will be able to pass the baby off as my legitimate child."

"And what am I to do? Refer to the child as a sibling?"

"Not in private if you don't want to," Jean sighed.

"Cosette, I wish there was something else I could do, but this is for the best."

"And what are you getting from this, papa?"

Jean froze. Simone took his arm. He wanted to tell Cosette. She was his daughter. She would accept him, just as Simone had. But he couldn't make the words.

"It...settles a debt with your mother."

Cosette looked down. Jean felt guilty lying to his daughter, but could not bare to tell the truth.

Not yet.


	5. Left Behind

Grantaire stormed into Enjolras's flat.

"What's your fucking problem?"

Enjolras turned away from the cold cup of coffee on his kitchen table to face him.

"A hangover. And how are you doing on this fine day," he spat.

"Cut the crap, we both know why I'm here."

"I was hoping it was for you to help me with this damn headache, but I see you have no sympathy."

"You're right about that. Not after what you did."

"Enlighten me, 'Taire. What gave me away?"

"Well, I knew something was wrong when you stopped lecturing me about my drinking. I knew I was right when you started drinking with me, and I started worrying when you started fucking everything."

Enjolras flinched.

"I know some shit went down between you and Simone, and I know, whatever it was, you suck at dealing with your problems."

"You know nothing."

"'Ponine told me."

"She knows nothing."

"You sure."

"What happened is between me and Simone, and I would appreciate if you would–"

"–not mention that you knocked up Simone?"

Enjolras gaped at his uncharacteristically sober friend.

'_Éponine was right_,' Grantaire thought as Enjolras continued to stare. Though Grantaire would never tell Enjolras, he was amused by his friend's face on the rare occasion that he was lost for words.

"I'll assume by your face that Éponine's theory's right. And, no, you didn't tell her while you were drunk."

"I–I don't know what to say. Does anyone else know?"

"Éponine made me promise not to send out conception announcements for Enjolras Junior. But that's not what I'm here to yell at you about."

"No yelling, 'Taire. Hangover–"

"Well now you know how I feel every morning that you lecture me about drinking too much," Grantaire groaned. '_He's just trying to distract you_,' he thought. "And you're not avoiding this conversation, so stop trying to."

"There's nothing I can do."

"Bullshit. Any real man would stand up and take responsibility for his kid!"

"Let me deal with my problems as I see fit!"

"Not when your 'problem' is growing inside of another person, and your solution is ignoring her until the situation magically disappears."

"You don't know the half of it."

"I know you're a better person than this."

"I'm trying."

"Like hell you are! Moping, drinking, that's really how you raise a child," Grantaire yelled sarcastically. "Let me tell you, Enjolras, unless you want your kid to grow up to be me, I'd get off of your fucking downward spiral, and go back to being the strong, ambitious revolutionary I remember you being. You finally learned how to love someone else, and now you just throw that all away because...why? Are you really that fucking insensitive? Because that's low, even for you."

Grantaire panted, only thinking his words through after they escaped his mouth. Wordlessly, Enjolras stood and retrieved a bottle of wine.

"Want some?" he asked quietly, not bothering to turn to look Grantaire in the eyes.

'_No, and neither should you_,' Grantaire wanted to say. His voice, however, just responded, "Yeah."

Enjolras poured two glasses of wine, immediately taking a large sip on his own. He looked at Grantaire, and spoke after he finally took his first sip.

"Not bad," Grantaire commented. It wasn't the greatest wine he had ever tasted, but Grantaire hoped that the compliment would encourage Enjolras to talk.

"I never expected to have a family. I always thought that my legacy would just be whatever I did for France."

"You can still do that, you know. I doubt Simone would mind being a political wife. She could help, and–and so could your kid! People love cute babies!"

Enjolras smirked. Grantaire knew he was picturing a blond haired baby being passed around and fawned over by his countrymen. Enjolras shook his head, breaking Grantaire from his fantasy.

"That's not the point."

"Then what is it?"

"I don't want–I can't leave them behind. I've always expected to die fighting for the cause. And if I don't, none of you guys should. I feel...responsible for all of you. You're only fighting because I told you too. If I fail you..."

"Enjolras, don't be so hard on yourself. There's no battle yet, and when the time comes, if it comes at all, we will all fight, not because you told us to, but because we truly believe in freedom."

"I can't leave a child behind."

"It's too late for that. That baby's going to be born whether you're there or not."

"I know I just...how can I even help her? And who's to say she'd even give me the time of day after all of this?"

"Nothing's going to happen if you keep moping around thinking about what could go wrong."

Enjolras finished his wine. "I'll sleep on it."


	6. Flowers and Gowns

"Your father said that the only dates we could get on such short notice were either this Thursday or in two months."

Cosette glanced at Simone. She hadn't looked at her friend since she learned that she was to become her stepmother.

"So I guess we should get you a dress."

"Yes, that would be a good place to start."

And that's how Cosette ended up in a dress shop with her "stepmother".

"How does this look?" Simone asked. She wore a puffy white dress, cut just below her growing bust.

"Not this one. You look pregnant," Cosette sighed. She looked at another rack and pulled a simple white dress off. "Try this."

"How is this going to hide anything? There's no support or–"

"Just try it on. Trust me, it'll compliment your upper half, and, as long as you wear a good corset, will flatten your stomach."

Simone reluctantly brought the dress into the fitting room. A few minutes, she emerged in he perfect dress. It did just what Cosette said it would.

"This is the dress," Simone said, smiling. "Thanks, Cosette."

"No problem," Cosette responded. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Simone was going to be a very lovely bride.

"Now to find you a dress."

A few hours later, the girls were back at home, each with a dress for the wedding. Cosette's father was waiting for them at the kitchen table, skimming a newspaper. He smiled at Cosette when he saw her.

"Did you have fun today, Cosette?" he asked.

'He wants to talk...,' Cosette thought. Simone seemed to suspect it too.

"I'm a bit tired from all of the walking we did. I'm going to go rest," Simone excused herself from what was bound to be an interesting conversation.

When she was gone, Cosette spoke.

"If you're going to ask if I'm okay with the wedding, the answer's no."

Her father sighed. "That's not the only reason I want to talk to you. I know this is a peculiar situation we've put you in, but it's the least I can do."

"There has to be some other way to make whatever you did up to my mother."

"That's-that's not the only reason."

"Then what is it? What could you possibly get out of this arrangement. A young, beautiful wife? In that case, papa, you're a bit late. She's already having someone else's child and–"

"Cosette, you should sit down for this."

Cosette hesitated before sitting across from her father.

"You know I love you, right? Not matter what, you will always come first."

Cosette tried to hold back a smile. "And I love you, papa."

He let out a breath. "That-that does make me feel a little better."

It was then that Cosette realized how important this conversation would be.

"Papa?"

"Cosette, I," he hesitated, "I am getting something out of this marriage. I'm helping Simone, but she's also helping me. Oh, I love you, my child, and I would never do anything that would harm you. In fact, this'll protect you."

Cosette reached out a hand, which her father immediately took in his own.

"Don't cry, papa. Whatever you could say will not change a thing."

He nodded.

"Thank you, dear. C-Cosette, I...I feel for men the way other men feel about...about women."

Cosette looked at her father with surprise for a moment, then with acceptance.

"As long as you love, I don't see any problem with who you love."

Her father looked as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Does Simone know this?" Cosette asked.

He nodded. "Simone...she may have caught me, erm, in a...compromising position."

"You didn't have to tell me that!" Cosette laughed as she mimed vomiting. "I may be fine with you liking men, but I'll never be okay with...with that."

He chuckled.

"Thank you, Cosette."

"For what? Being a decent person?"

"For being a great daughter."

They sat in a comfortable silence just looking at each other. Cosette felt extremely grateful to have such a close relationship with her father. After a few minutes, Cosette broke the silence.

"So, who's the lucky man?"

"The-the Inspector. Javert."

Cosette looked more shocked by this than by the revelation that her father preferred men.

"The same Javert that we've been avoiding for years?!"

He nodded. "We were lovers back in Montreuil-sur-Mer. Then, after your mother passed...let's just say it ended badly."

"How so?"

"That's a story for another time, Cosette."

"Does Simone know this one?"

"No, and I don't plan to tell her. Now why don't you start dinner? I'll wake Simone."

After the conversation with her father, Cosette began to accept the wedding. In fact, she began to spend most of her time working on the arrangements.

"Cosette, the wedding's in three days. We have to keep it simple," Simone sighed. Cosette had rambled for almost twenty minutes about what color flowers would look best with Simone's eyes.

"What about the guest list, then?" Cosette asked. "I'm going to ask Marius to come. Maybe you should ask Enjolras–"

"That's a terrible idea. He'd never come. As for Marius...he...he kinda doesn't know about, well, anything."

"You haven't told him?"

"No. I'm terrified to. I know it's stupid, but I'm worried he's going to be mad at me or try to kill Enjolras."

"You have to tell him, Simone. He's going to find out eventually."

"I know," Simone sighed. "I'll tell him tonight."


End file.
